Category: Places

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A Two-Night Respite

I was getting tired of sharing the same butterflies and stopped posting them for a few days on the blog. Then I realized that probably the reason I’m not seeing birds like usual is the noise of the construction of two houses across the street. Grumble, grumble! But – they sodded grass and planted palms today, so maybe they’re nearly finished! 🙂

Then decided I needed a short break to a favorite nature resort very near here, a 45 minute drive, and my first return since 2020. So about 11:00 this morning my driver will take me to Xandari Nature Resort on the edge of Alajuela, our provincial capital and the location of the San Jose Airport, hidden on a mountain overlooking it all in a thick rainforest with 5 waterfalls, a farm, lots of flower gardens, birds, butterflies, great food, Frank Lloyd Wright style architecture filled with beautiful art and no construction work! There is nothing to not like about Xandari, unless it is the price! 🙂 But sometimes one needs to splurge for a day or two! 🙂

Check out the galleries below from my 4 previous trips there and oh yes, this is the only hotel that has a complete library of all my Costa Rica Photo Books! 🙂 – Click the date of each previous trip below to see my gallery from that visit to Xandari . . .

2020 August

Xandari Nature Resort, Alajuela

And links to 3 other earlier visits to Xandari . . .

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Little Banner

Another new butterfly for me today! I first saw him/her from my kitchen on the outside of the window screen. I snapped a couple of shots and went outside for a different view in the garden but he quickly flew away. This is another tropical butterfly found in Central and South America. These shots will be just the second ones to be posted on butterfliesandmoths, when they are up (they were not a few minutes ago). 🙂 Here are four different shots:

Little Banner, Nica flavilla, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Orange-barred Sulphur

The Orange-barred Sulphur, Phoebis philea (Link to butterflies&moths website) is one that does not land with open wings very much, meaning you seldom see the orange bars! And when he lands with folded wings I think he looks a lot like the Cloudless Sulphur, having similar spots on the bottom of both their wings, though Clouded has a faint brown border to help you see the difference. My Orange-barred Gallery includes these plus the first one I photographed back in 2015 at the Yorkin Bribri Indigenous Reserve in Limón Province.

Orange-barred Sulphur, Atenas
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Brazilian Skipper

Another first time seen butterfly for me and this time it is one seen in the lower half of the U.S, Calpodes ethlius or Brazilian Skipper (link to butterflies&moths site). It is found from Argentina north through maybe half of the USA.

Brazilian Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Frosted Flasher

The Frosted Flasher, Astraptes alardus (butterflies & moths website) is found from Argentina throughout Central America to Mexico and Cuba. This is my first record of one in my garden, though several flashers can look alike. 🙂 The “frosted” is that wide white band on the underneath side of his wing. Here’s 4 photos from yesterday and you can see more in my Frosted Flasher Gallery. The butterflies are abundant here this year! 🙂

Frosted Flasher, Atenas, Costa Rica
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White Angled-Sulphur

The White Angled Sulphur, Anteos clorinde (link to butterflies&moths site), is not new to me and when I get my photos loaded to that website I think I will have some of the better photos there, but I haven’t gotten to my White Angled Sulphur GALLERY yet. 🙂 Check it out!

I’ve been very busy with so many butterflies to photograph in my garden daily (and almost no birds for some reason) plus I still haven’t caught up with identifying and approving all the submissions from Costa Rica to the butterflies & moths website (very time-consuming!) that I don’t have time to get my own photos submitted! 🙂

Here’s 3 shots of today’s White Angled-Sulphur . . .

White Angled-Sulphur, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Pura Vida Inspiration

I read three things today that helped me realize again how fortunate I am to be living in such an amazing little country as Costa Rica! AND how much I have slowed down, calmed down, and embraced nature since I’ve been living here, eight years this coming December! Here’s links to the three inspirational articles I read today . . .

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Ruby-spotted Swallowtail

Another butterfly today that I’ve seen only one other time, and yes, it looks a lot like some of the Cattlehearts (which are related to Swallowtails), but is one of five black & red & white butterflies labeled “Swallowtails.” You can read a little about the Papilio anchisiades or Ruby-spotted Swallowtail on butterfliesandmoths.org, which are found from Argentina north to South Texas, and for only a few more pix, check out my Ruby-spotted Swallowtail Gallery.

Ruby-spotted Swallowtail or Pailio anchisiades, Atenas, Costa Rica
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A Rare Butterfly Find

Eusalasia Cheles is the scientific name of this new butterfly for me and it will be new for butterfliesandmoths.org website that I volunteer for after my request to add it as a species is processed and my photos will then be their first! 🙂 My garden is becoming a rich source of butterflies!

It is found only in Costa Rica and Panama and there is not much online about it with only pictures of pinned specimens on the most prolific butterfliesofamerica.com. For the common name, they just reverse the scientific name, calling it “Cheles Eusalasia” while my Butterflies of Mexico and Central America book has the common name of “Dimorphic Sombermark,” with “sombermarks” being a subspecies category of “metalmarks.” Here are my 5 photos of one that first came in my house before I shooed him back into the garden! 🙂

Euselasia Cheles, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Central Atenas from My Hilltop

I never tire of trying to capture a slightly different view of Atenas from atop the hill I live on the side of in Residential Roca Verde, Atenas, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. These are not necessarily my best shots, so check out the others in my gallery: From Hill Above My House.

Here’s the three shots from my walk the other day, one a single shot vista and the others are two-shot panoramas of Atenas Central from atop Phase 1 of Residential Roca Verde. If you look close you can see the church steeple and the palm trees in front of it which are in our Central Park.

Atenas from atop Residential Roca Verde. A 1-shot View on Cell Phone Camera.
Atenas from atop Residential Roca Verde. A 2-shot Panorama on Cell Phone.
Atenas from atop Residential Roca Verde. A 2-shot Panorama on Cell Phone.

¡Pura Vida!